1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coil component, and more particularly relates to a coil component that is mounted on an in-vehicle AM/FM radio-wave receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there is an increasing requirement on design such as a size reduction, high density mounting, weight reduction and cost reduction for an electronic device in which an electronic component such as a coil component is used.
Especially, with respect to electronic devices mounted on a vehicle, a weight reduction of the whole vehicle can be realized by reducing an overall weight of each electronic device. More specifically, an improvement in vehicular power performance, a reduction in fuel consumption, and the like can be realized by making the weight of the vehicle lighter. Accordingly, there is a requirement for a similar weight reduction even to an FM/AM radio-wave receiver that is the electronic device mounted on the vehicle and an electronic component mounted thereon.
In addition, there is a need for providing an appropriate interval (working space) between adjoining coil components on a mounting substrate in order to prevent a damage during work for mounting coil components on the mounting substrate. Therefore, the number of coil components to be mounted needs to be reduced as small as possible in order to achieve the size reduction of the electronic device while satisfying the recent requirement of high density mounting at a high level.
In the past, plural coil components which are such coil components as one described in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. S58-51412, for example, and which have mutually different functions are mounted on the mounting substrate to make the AM/FM radio-wave receiver possess plural functions such as receiving function and filtering function.
However, in case that the plural coil components having the same or similar electrical characteristic and shape are disposed on the mounting substrate, a mounting space proportional to the number of coil components as described hereinbefore needs to be secured on the mounting substrate. Accordingly, the mounting substrate becomes large when the plural coil components are used, and consequently there occurs such a problem that the weight of the electronic device is increased.
In addition, there also arises such a problem that costs of the electronic device become high due to a use of the plural coil components.
Then, in order to make one coil component possess different functions, a coil component having plural coils wound therein is known (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H6-84649 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H8-222441). It is possible to reduce the number of coil components to be mounted and to reduce the size of the mounting substrate of the electronic device by using such coil component.